Is Advil a Blood Thinner?

Blood thinner is used to reduce the chance of getting blood clots. If you have an abnormal heart rhythm, your doctor has probably already prescribed one for you. Whenever you are combining medications, the interaction should be considered and addressed. For example, taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) with a blood thinner could be risky. There are two types of blood thinners – an antiplatelet (aspirin) that will stop platelets from developing into a clot; and anticoagulants (warfarin) slow down the actual formation of a blood clot.

Is Advil a Blood Thinner?

Advil, a brand of Ibuprofen, falls into the category of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). And it has been proven to thin blood by interfering with the way that platelets work and interrupts blood clots. Ibuprofen is also an anti-coagulant, which works as good as other blood thinner that doctors prescribe.

Besides using it as a blood thinner, many doctors prescribe this medication to relieve inflammation, reduce or eliminate pain, and reduce fevers. You can find this drug in caplets, tablets and gel caplets.

Side Effects of Ibuprofen (Advil)

Although you get a yes from the question, "Is Advil a blood thinner?" but before you take it for that reason you may want to check out the list of side effects first.

Customary Side Effects

Stomachache

Nausea and vomiting

Heartburn

Dizziness or drowsiness

Rash

Constipation

Ringing in ears

More Serious Side Effects

Inflammation of the liver or liver failure

Blood in urine

Low platelet count

UTI (urinary tract infection)

Agranulocytosis (meaning there are not enough white blood cells created by the bone marrow)

Stroke or heart attack

Damage to the kidneys

Hypertension or high blood pressure

Anemia or low red blood cell count

Toxic epidermal necrolysis or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which is a skin reaction that can be severe or life threatening

Other Blood Thinners You May Want to Know

Is Advil a blood thinner? We already know the answer. If you are taking a medication that doesn't work well with ibuprofen, you might want to know other blood thinners.

1. Other Types of Medical Blood Thinners

Here are 2 types of medicines that can be used as blood thinners:

Antiplatelet Drugs

These medications work to prevent blood clots from forming by making sure the platelets don't clump. Antiplatelet medications fall into four types:

Aspirin

Clopidogrel (Plavix)

Ticlopidine (Ticlid)

Dipyridamole (Persantie)

Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors

Thienopyridines and other ADP receptor blockers

Anticoagulants

This medication serves as a blood thinner by preventing blood clots from forming by prolonging the time it takes to clot. It also keeps the blood vessels open. The drugs in this field include:

Warfarin (like Jantoven and Coumadin)

Enosaparin (like Lovenox)

Herparin

Apixaban (Eliquis)

Dabigatran (Pradaxa)

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

Note: Last three drugs are newer and have less risk of bleeding.

2. Natural Blood Thinners

If you are unwilling to take medicines to thin your blood, you can try the following natural blood thinner to get the similar effects:

Natural antibiotics: You may have thinned your blood if you have been taking antibiotics for a long period of time. Some foods that are natural antibiotics include jicama, garlic, onions, tree ear, garlic and olive oil.

Sunshine: Vitamin D from being outdoors and exposed to the sun could result in not only thinner blood but better circulation.

Drinking more water is the easiest and most effective way to thin your blood. The suggested amount is a half-ounce for every pound that you weigh every day.

Salicylates block vitamin K, which can thin your blood and promote your circulation. Foods that contain salicylates include oranges, prunes, strawberries, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, honey, vinegar and wine. Aspirin is one of the most commonly used salicylates.